Pictures of Platycodon grandiflorum

Platycodon is a flower of the green plant Platycodon. It is also known as bell flower, monk's cap, bitterroot, stem grass, burden flower, hexagonal lotus, and white medicine. Its Latin name is Platycodon gradiflorus. It is a perennial woody plant belonging to the Campanulaceae family and the Campanulaceae genus. The stem is 20-120 cm tall, generally glabrous, occasionally densely covered with short hairs, without branches, and very rarely with partial branches. Li Shizhen explained the reason in Compendium of Materia Medica as follows: "The roots of this grass are firm and straight, so it is called orange stem." The root of Platycodon grandiflorum has medicinal value and contains platycodon grandiflorum saponin, which has the equivalent circuit of relieving cough and reducing phlegm, resolving phlegm, and reducing inflammation (treating pleurisy).

Photo of Platycodon grandiflorum, stem height 20-120 cm, generally glabrous, occasionally densely covered with short hairs, without branches, and very few branches. The leaves are all whorled, some are whorled to all symbiotic, sessile or with very short petioles, ovate, ovate-elliptical to lanceolate, 2-7 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide, with a broad wedge-shaped to obtuse tip, acute apex, glabrous and emerald green above, often glabrous and glaucous below, sometimes with short or tubercle-like hairs on the veins, and finely serrated edges. The flowers are solitary at the terminal, or several flowers are integrated into a pseudoraceme, or there are capitula branches and integrated into panicles; the calyx tube is semicircular spherical or spherical inverted cone, covered with glaucous frost, the lobes are triangular, or narrowly triangular, sometimes serrated; Corolla is large, 1.5-4.0 cm long, dark blue or blue-purple. The siliques are spherical, or spherical-inverted-conical, or obovate, 1-2.5 cm long and 1 cm in diameter. Flowering period is July-September.

Platycodon grandiflorum is a deep-rooted plant, a perennial herbaceous perennial flower, mostly found naturally in the grass on hillsides. Its roots are thick, fleshy, cylindrical, with no or few branches. The main stem can be more than 15 cm long. The stem is upright, 0.5 to 1 meter high, with milky white spots all over the plant. It usually has no branches or only has a few branches at the top. The leaves are opposite or whorled, ovate-lanceolate, with irregular serrations on the edges. The flowering period is relatively late, with one or several dark blue or blue-purple flowers growing at the top of the stem from July to September. When buds appear, they swell into a balloon shape. Corolla is bell-shaped with five lobes at the top. When it hangs upside down, it looks like an ancient bell, so it is also called bell-shaped flower. Fruits come out from August to October.

The purple-blue petals of Platycodon grandiflorum have a beautiful shape and are very eye-catching. In many areas, it is planted as an ornamental plant in the courtyards of ecological parks. It is quiet, elegant and unique.

The main stem is about 70 centimeters high, and can reach 1 meter when planted manually. The leaves are opposite, whorled or symbiotic, with a smooth surface and a light cover of white frost on the back. The flowers are single or two or three and grow on the treetops. They are shaped like a monk's hat when in bud and like a bell when open. The flowers come in a variety of colors such as purple-blue, emerald blue, and bright white. Most of them are single-petal, but there are also double and semi-double petals. The flowers are calm and elegant, and the flower shape is delicate but not gaudy. Japan uses purple to represent gentian, while North Korea uses gentian to represent indifference. The purple of Platycodon grandiflorum is tinged with blue, and the blue with purple, which is refreshing to the eyes and gives people a feeling of peace, elegance, tranquility and comfort. In the botanical garden, it has a unique style and is called "a recluse among flowers, not interested in the hustle and bustle". It matches well with red flowers and has a sense of "brilliance". It is a beautiful fresh cut flower and is widely used in flower baskets and bouquets. A gentian can increase the appreciation effect of artistic flower arrangement. It can also be used as a potted flower or planted in flower paths and flower beds. The root is a well-known Chinese medicinal material. It can treat colds, coughs, reduce phlegm and promote digestion. The tender roots can be eaten. In the past, they were mostly planted for medicinal value. Now they are being developed into fresh cut flowers and their anthers are used, which has great development prospects.

For fresh cut flowers, the soil layer should be loosened deeply, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied, and fertilizer should be applied 2 to 3 times before blooming to promote the growth of branches and trunks.

And flower buds are produced. After cutting the cut flowers, protect the remaining leaf stems at the tip, and apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers once to facilitate the growth of underground roots. After the beginning of autumn, they can be collected for medicinal purposes or kept to sprout new plants the following year. Little disease, easy to manage.

The gentian is 40 to 80 cm tall, with 3 to 5 leaves, which are symbiotic, whorled or opposite; the flowers are solitary, terminal or several in sparse racemes; the calyx is 5, the corolla is bell-shaped and 5-lobed, the pistil is 5, the ovary is 5-chambered, and the column is 5-lobed; the silique is oval-ring-shaped. The root is fleshy, thick and light yellow. Stems erect, milky. A succulent plant with thick roots in the shape of a ginseng, and light yellow milky white skin. Leaves symbiotic or in whorls of 3. The flowers are often solitary, sometimes several clustered at the top of the stem; Corolla is broad bell-shaped, slightly tilted, generally dark blue, but also milky white, light snow blue, and light pink. The flowering period is from June to September. It is used in landscape to layout flower beds, perennial flower landscapes, and to decorate rock gardens. It is sometimes used as fresh cut flowers or potted plants; the roots can be used as medicine. There are double-petaled varieties with dark blue flowers.